Dutch Government Committed to the Netherlands Remaining a Top Destination for Foreign Investments

Foreign companies contribute to innovations in strategic sectors and support the Government’s objective of spending 3% of GDP on research and development by 2030

The Dutch Government aims to keep the Netherlands attractive for foreign investments. With the new phase of the Invest in Holland strategy, the Netherlands wants to remain a leader in innovation and resilience in the coming years. The government will therefore continue to focus on quality (added value) instead of quantity when attracting foreign companies. Minister Beljaarts (Economic Affairs), also on behalf of Minister Klever (Foreign Trade and Development Aid), wrote to the House of Representatives: “This means that investment projects will stimulate our economic growth, and will also help our country to be ready for the future”.

The Invest in Holland network, led by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining foreign direct investments to the Netherlands. For the next five years, Invest in Holland will continue to focus on investments that strengthen Dutch ecosystems in strong sectors such as agrifood, chemicals, sustainable energy, high tech systems & materials, life sciences & health and IT & Tech. In these ecosystems, companies collaborate with knowledge institutions and governments to accelerate their business and build smart, sustainable solutions for the future.

Contribution of foreign companies

The Invest in Holland network will also explore opportunities in sectors such as defence, raw materials and fintech in the coming years. Of the companies that the network guided to settle and expand in the Netherlands in 2024, 97% (187 of the 193 projects) were in line with the strategic priorities of the Netherlands. The activities of these companies contribute, for example, to innovations in areas such as healthcare, agriculture and chemistry or support the government’s objective of spending 3% of GDP on research and development (R&D) by 2030.

“Foreign companies make an important contribution to strengthening our innovative ecosystems and enhancing our future resilience,” said Minister Beljaarts of Economic Affairs. “With this strategy, we ensure that we guide and retain precisely those companies that contribute to our economic strength and innovation.”

Minister Klever: “Foreign companies contribute more than a million jobs to the Netherlands and deliver almost 150 billion euros in added value to our economy. As a government, we are committed to a good business climate. The NFIA works together with our embassies and consulates worldwide to attract the most innovative companies to the Netherlands. This provides the Netherlands with knowledge and innovation, which benefits society as a whole.”

Improving the business climate

With strong and innovative ecosystems, highly educated talent, excellent digital infrastructure and a high quality of life, the Netherlands is attractive to international companies. This is also evident from the increase in follow-up investments by existing foreign investors in the Netherlands. These increased from 19% in 2023 to 28% in 2024 (of the total number of supervised projects).

The government is actively working in various ways to further improve the business climate, for example through a Business Climate Pact. This pact, which is being designed in collaboration with the business community, aims to remove bottlenecks and reposition the Netherlands as one of the most competitive economies in the world.

Source: Rijksoverheid.nl